Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Here is an excerpt from Seattle Times music critic Melinda Bargreen's article today on Quinton I. Morris. He is the African American violinist, music professor and founding director of The Young Eight, the country's only only African American string octet:

If you've started out the New Year with a resolution to get more things done, you might want to consider the example of Quinton Morris.

The young violinist and founding director of the all-African-American chamber group the Young Eight, Morris is three months away from finishing his doctorate at the University of Texas-Austin while he directs Seattle University's instrumental music division, runs the chamber music program, teaches violin students, devises the curriculum for a new bachelor of music program for string students, tours and performs with the Young Eight — and performs a Mozart violin concerto in several free community concerts this month with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

Did we leave anything out? Oh, yes — he also is teaching four young students on the side (in addition to his Seattle U. students), including two African-American middle-school boys who are profiting from the kind of mentorship Morris would have loved to have had as a kid.

"I didn't have that growing up," says Morris, who graduated from Renton High School and still has lots of family and friends in this area. "I never saw an African American playing with an orchestra as a child. Now, to work as a mentor with these talented young players and show them what is possible, right in their hometown — that's really rewarding."

Performing as a violin soloist also is rewarding, and Morris is looking forward to playing Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 with the Seattle Symphony and associate conductor Carolyn Kuan, in free community concerts that should provide good chances to hear what Morris can do. Full Article